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basement progress: laundry + scope creep
[A quick note to say thank you all for your support and votes in the Small Cool contest. Even though we didn’t win the big prize, we’re glad Daniel did and can’t wait to see what kind of awesomeness he creates with all that moolah.]
Ok, the basement. It’s been a while since we’ve given you an update but that’s not to say there hasn’t been some major progress. Get comfy, because we’re about to dive in.
Back in early April we talked about getting a new washer and dryer to help with Kyle’s allergies and the upcoming onslaught of baby laundry…
…and while I was out of town the following weekend, Kyle did just that.
But as that post alluded to, buying the washer and dryer was the easy part – actually installing them involved new plumbing, electrical, framing and for good measure – concrete. (Because what’s a project without a little concrete pour?) To jog your memory, we last left off with the installation of that steel channel (that you see in the photo above) and the removal of a pesky interior column that was getting in the way of a more efficient use of the space.
Column gone, concrete curb still there. How was that for a blog post cliffhanger?
Nothing a little jackhammering couldn’t take care of though. (We later filled the hole with fresh concrete.)
Next, to create a level surface for our fancy new appliances to sit on, Kyle poured a concrete plinth (using welded wire mesh for reinforcement). The washer and dryer come with adjustable legs, but we had too much wonkiness in the existing slab.
Oh Bailey…we know. It’s your “what the hell guys?” look again, but just trust us on this.
For the formwork, Kyle used some scrap pressure-treated lumber that we had on hand. We also had an old floor drain (covered by the concrete above) that we decided to plug. The drain was more of a nuisance than anything, especially since our sewer line tees into our neighbor’s before connecting to the main line in the street. A few years ago, when a bunch of college-aged guys were renting the house, they had a back-up in their basement bathroom which resulted in a back-up into our basement. Not cool. Actually, it was pretty disgusting.
To deal with the indentation of the slab where the drain was, Kyle used a strip of flexible black sticky flashing to keep concrete from seeping out between the old slab and formwork. A quick float, a little canine supervision, and it was done.
With the slab in place and cured, it was time to frame up some walls and start on the plumbing. We eventually want to semi-finish the laundry space, so it only made sense to run all the new plumbing through a framed furring wall instead of the willy-nilliness that existed before. Because of our shared sewer line, Kyle also installed a backflow preventer in the main line (it’s the thing under the neon green level). Basically, it’s a one-way valve that lets our drain water flow out but keeps our neighbors’ (or anyone else’s) from flowing in.
Before all this magic could happen though, there was a lot of researching, diagramming and code checking. And I have to give full credit (and a huge THANK YOU) to Kyle for being both the brains and the brawn behind this operation. We generally take a tag team approach to remodeling, but with the baby timer ticking we’ve delegated out entire projects between the two of us and are on a go-go-go schedule till d-day.
That being said, taking on plumbing as a DIYer is no easy feat. Not only do you have pipes that supply hot and cold water, but you also need pipes to vent out of the house and pipes to take the waste water away. Of course, you also need power and a way to vent warm, moist air from the dryer. Oh, and all these things must coexist within a relatively small space. A washer and dryer are one thing, but since we were already subjecting ourselves to this level of complication and head-scratching, we decided to also plumb for a utility sink…
…and a future bathroom(!) (Hello scope creep!) It was quite an effort to coordinate everything, but we’re glad we did. It might not seem like it now, but planning ahead will save us time, money and sanity.
To support the new countertop, Kyle installed some steel angles along the back wall and then welded up this steel bracket support for the end. (We needed to be able to pull the washer and dryer out periodically, so the countertop couldn’t sit directly on top.)
As usual, Bailey was on hand to provide support and supervision.
The small portion of basement next to the exterior door is quickly becoming our mechanical/electrical room. Kyle installed the supply lines and drain hose for the washer in this zone so that they could be easily accessed after the laundry room walls get covered up. Hot and cold water (the red and blue pex lines) tie into water hammer arresters, which are common to laundry areas and act as shock absorbers as water flow starts or stops abruptly within a cleaning cycle. Flex lines then run from the arresters to the washing machine and the gray hose is a flexible drain line that runs from the washer back to the black drain pipe which connects to the main sewer line.
In a nutshell, clean water in, dirty water out.
(He also relocated the thermostat for the tankless hot water heater. It’s the small box between the drain hose and Apple Time Machine.)
For the utility sink, we bought a basic 36″ IKEA cabinet box. The stainless steel sink was actually purchased a few years ago as a maybe kitchen sink (we ended up finding another one on Craigslist that was a little bit better quality), so we were glad to finally find a home for sink #2. In lieu of the flimsy cabinet back that comes with the unit, Kyle used a piece of plywood with a generous cut-out to allow room for the sink p-trap and access to the plumbing beyond if we ever need it.
With everything finally in place and all systems a-go, Kyle installed the cabinet doors (we used the affordable Applad line from IKEA). As you can see, the washer and dryer are quite a bit taller than a standard counter height of 36″, so Kyle built a wood plinth that the sink cabinet sits on top of. To give everything a more seamless look, we purchased an extra drawer front, trimmed it down a bit, then glued it to the front face of the wood plinth.
The countertop is a 3-0 x 7-6 birch door that was cut to fit and then coated with a few layers of polyurethane. A space to fold clothes that’s not our bed? Winning!
The faucet and soap pump are Kohler (the model is Simplice). It’s a great faucet that’s well-made, affordable and has a pull-out spray for hand-washing clothes or ornery cats. We considered it for our main kitchen sink but I could never come to terms with the slightly flared handle. For the basement, it didn’t seem to bother me as much. As mentioned earlier, we bought the sink a few years ago off Craigslist. It came from a generic supply store south of Seattle and actually has no brand or product name on it. The whole thing seemed a little sketchy, but we bought it anyway. Because we had plenty of depth but were crunched on width, we decided to install it perpendicular to how you normally would. We’re crazy like that.
So here’s our “finished” laundry space, for the time-being at least. Of course it all took longer than expected (which was especially challenging for me and my limited wardrobe options), but after a week or so we finally ran the first load. Bailey and Felix both made an appearance for the inaugural run, mesmerized by the swishing and whirling behind the clear plastic portal. I was just happy that I would not have to resort to wearing sweat pants to work.
But we’re not done. OH NO. I couldn’t cram everything that Kyle’s been secretly working on into one post, so we’ll be back later this week to talk about our current endeavor. Hint: it involves busting up concrete and digging dirt – inside our house.
Oh yes we are!
an open letter from bailey
Hey guys, Bailey here.
I’ve been meaning to do a blog post for a while now, but these giant paws of mine make it really tough to type. Fortunately, I somehow managed to convince my small-pawed brother Felix to help me out (even though I did I push open the bathroom door and eat all of his breakfast this morning).
So here’s the deal, I’ve never really told my side of this remodel story. Sure, I may look like a young pup, but I’ve been around during this whole crazy ride…
In fact, I remember the first time they brought me over to the new house (I wasn’t even a year-old yet!). They didn’t trust me to stay in the partially fenced backyard, so they tied me up to that nasty teal gate. Let’s be honest, I probably could have dragged the whole thing down the block if I’d have thought about it. Even though the yard needed a lot of help, I was pumped about all that space for me to run around in.
For the first month or so and before we actually moved in, Mom and Dad used to bring me over to the house in the evenings. They still didn’t trust me to stay away from the walls they were painting and so out came the leash. It’s kinda embarrassing being tied up in your own home, y’know?
After we got all settled in, it was time for me to get to work. Here’s dad and me fixing the old work truck we bought from a farm dog up north.
But let’s be honest, after a while I grew tired of all the work. (What? I’m a golden!) Some nights I’d hide in the shop and hope no one missed me.
On more than one occasion, I’ve also questioned the sanity of my parents (I’m giving Dad “the look”). I suppose at some point though I realized that I would just have to trust that I wouldn’t be stuck in the house forever. And I wasn’t…Dad built a sweet stoop where we sit on nice days and drink beer.
But along with the low points, there have been some great milestones too. That basement project was no barrel of monkeys. I felt bad that Dad spent all that time digging away at the dirt in the crawl space. If I wasn’t so lazy, I could have lent my diggers.
I admit, I haven’t always had the vision that my architect parents have. Mom tried to show me what the view from the future kitchen would be like but for some reason it just wasn’t clicking.
My favorite part of this whole remodel thing is probably all of the car rides to home improvement stores. I especially love Home Depot. Not only is there usually stale popcorn on the floor, but I get all kinds of hugs and belly rubs. Lowes is ok, but I had an accident there one time and have been too ashamed to go back. You never want to be the dog that brings out the “caution wet floor” sign if you know what I mean.
I like to think that I’ve really matured as a DIY dog over the years and by the time we tackled the big interior gut job in ’10, I was ready. Mom and Dad still don’t give me a lot of responsibilities, so I’ve generally taken it upon myself to supervise.
I also supply moral support and encouragement. DIY dogs, this is very important.
And when I’ve got some downtime, I lay in piles of sawdust. What, you haven’t tried this? It’s bliss!
I’m also a fantastic source for comic relief. Hey guys…it’s just a house y’know. Lighten up! Let’s have an insulation par-tay!
And when we’ve all worked a little too hard, I let them know when it’s time to power down for the day.
I know this photo doesn’t bode well for my intelligence, but I’m actually just really respectful of boundaries.
A word of caution to you long-haired canines, remodeling can lead to extreme haircuts if you’re not careful. It felt so strange at first, but it was really quite liberating.
Last summer they took away my backyard access and I thought I was tripping in some kind of M.C. Escher drawing…
…but I soon realized that you were just building me a sweet deck to lounge on.
“Looking good guys! Oh…little to the left…there you go!”
So why this blog post and why now? As you can see, I’ve been through a lot these last 5 1/2 years and it’s time for a little Bailey pampering. But I don’t have a job or any money, so I’m relying on you guys to help me out. Here’s the deal – if my parents win this contest thing they’ve entered, I get a new yard. With real plants…that I can pee on! You’ve seen what I’ve had to work with and it isn’t pretty. Seriously, every morning I go out and smell the winter daphne because it’s the only plant in the yard. To make matters worse, this morning Mom and Dad made fun of me when I came in because I had tiny pink flowers on my back (so humiliating!).
Also, I don’t want to ruin the surprise but I think they’re turning the TV room into a bedroom for me. Last weekend they installed this weird elevated dog bed. I’m not sure how to get in and out of it just yet, but seeing as how I’ve never had my own bed I guess I don’t know what to expect. But still, I know we’re going to need some more cash to pimp out my room. And I don’t know why, but there seems to be some kind of deadline attached to getting all this stuff done.
Felix and I have been keeping tabs on the vote count and the gap between 1st and 2nd place in our category is shrinking quickly. I’m not that good at math, but Felix says he’s worried. So that’s why I’m asking you, Bailey lovers of the world, to click over to that Cool Small contest thing and show me your support. In return, I will send you a virtual nuzzle. And when you see pictures of me rolling around in a giant pile of fresh compost, you’ll know that you had a small part in making that dream a reality.
Love, Bailey (and Felix, cat typist extraordinaire)
oklahoma + laundry
Last Thursday I hopped on a plane and headed to Oklahoma for a long weekend. What started out as a sister’s weekend (we have a yearly tradition that dates back to camping in the backyard as little kids) turned into a family reunion of sorts when we decided to meet up in northeast Oklahoma instead of one of our respective cities. My parents live in the same small town that I grew up in and two of my three brothers live a couple of hours away so they drove over for the weekend. I even squeezed in a visit with Kyle’s mom and my sister-in-law (who is due with their first baby in early July!) when they drove up from Tulsa for an estrogen-laden brunch on Saturday.
Even though I love Seattle, sometimes it is hard being 2,000 miles away (an absence of direct flights makes it even harder).
The weather was pleasant (warmer than 55 degrees!) and we even got a real rain storm on Saturday morning! Above is the view from my dad and stepmom’s back porch (thanks to my sister for the awesome photo)…
…and this is the view from my mom and stepdad’s back deck. Same town.
One of the highlights of the trip was meeting my new niece, Holly. She and zerbebe will only be about 5 months apart and I love the idea of them spending long weeks in the summer together (y’know…when the grandparents host “camp cousin”).
She’s the cutest, right? And she makes the whole baby thing look deceptively easy…sleeping 8-12 hours at night, every night. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.
While I was enjoying a slower pace of life and temporarily forgetting about my massive to-do list, Kyle was knee-deep in a surprise weekend project:
New washer and dryer! Kyle’s plan was to surprise me with a new laundry set-up when I got home, but the weekend got gobbled up with plumbing diagrams and trips to Home Depot instead. So when he called me on Sunday night he let me in on his plans. Normally, I would have been peeved that he had made a major appliance decision without me, but his intentions were so sweet that I didn’t mind (and we had more or less narrowed down our choices anyway).
We ended up getting the larger capacity Whilrpool Duets from our go-to local appliance store Albert Lee. Using a trade discount, we saved about $600 on the pair and still have at least one utility rebate to apply for, plus the sale of our old machines. [FYI – we’ve worked with Tylar Strong at the Southcenter Location for a few years now and as a new father himself, he assured us that he hasn’t had any problems with washing cloth diapers in the Duet.]
But before the washer and dryer were delivered, Kyle’s first project was to remove the awkward column in the middle of the space. (You can see it in one of the photos from last week’s post.) To compensate for the column, Kyle first bolted a steel channel to one side of the existing beam. (We’d been throwing around this idea for a few months and had our friend and structural engineer Julie do a quick calc for size and bolt spacing.) Once in place, the column could be safely removed.
At each end, the wood/steel beam combo bears on 2x studs.
In the photo below, you can see the opposite face with exposed bolts, spaced evenly across the span at about 20″ on center. Kyle did all of this by himself, he amazes me.
Bye bye column. The next step will be to jack hammer out this funky concrete curb. Removing the column and curb will free up this side of the basement and give us more flexibility in our laundry room layout (which has been modified, yet again).
Kyle also picked up this 3′-0″x8′-0″ birch solid-core door. Although he’s been using it as a temporary work surface, it will soon become a countertop over the washer/dryer and utility sink.
So even though he didn’t get as far as he wanted to, the good news is that all the details have been worked out and the supplies purchased. It’s officially go time! We’ll be back next week to talk more about drain lines, furring walls and if all goes well, just how many jeans we can wash in a single load.
spring cleaning
Maybe it’s early nesting, the change of seasons or Kyle’s recent trip to the allergy doctor, but we spent all of last weekend purging, organizing and cleaning our little house. (We also took lots of new photos, so look out for that in the coming weeks!)
One of the items on the to-do list was to have our ducts professionally cleaned. The ductwork was installed with the rest of our heating system 3 1/2 years ago, but between remodel projects and a large shedding dog, it was due for some attention. Clean ducts not only extend the life of your furnace, but they also help keep contaminants out of the forced air system (a major plus for people with allergies). The whole process took a couple of hours and scared the bejesus out of Felix (we actually thought he ran away at one point but he finally came out of hiding later that day).
The truck basically acts as a giant vacuum, with a large hose that ran down the side yard, through the basement door and connected to where the return air ties into the furnace.
Now that we’re breathing easier, let’s move on to the next basement topic – laundry. With a baby on the way and Kyle’s newly discovered allergy to dust mites, we’ve also been considering upgrading our washer and dryer. Our current mismatched set came with our home and appear to be from the late ’90s. As you can see, they are one of the few remaining relics from the last 5+ years of remodeling.
Although I doubt they’re that efficient when it comes to water usage, we haven’t been able to rationalize replacing them because they still work. The downside of course is that they’re small (compared to front-loaders) and with a center spindle (agitator?) you can’t wash large items like comforters and pillows (which gets back to the allergy issue).
So ok, let’s get some new ones! But of course we just can’t swap them out for something new. No, no…that would be too easy. You see, whoever installed the original units seems to have taken the most amount of shortcuts possible when it comes to plumbing and electrical. So we’ll need to run new plumbing and wiring and since we eventually plan to finish out this half of the basement, we might as well build out the furring wall while we’re at it (which would be an extension of the media/electrical panel you see above).
Sigh…nothing is easy in remodeling, is it? Damn you old house!
But back to appliances. It seems like the hands-down favorite is the Whirlpool Duet. What do you guys think? Any particular models that you love? Also, any tips for scoring amazing deals? Let’s hear it.
Finally, on a somewhat related basement note I thought it would be fun to do a side-by-side comparison of “mission control” and how it’s evolved over the years.
On the left, you have the 2006 version which consisted of a few fuse boxes and some questionable electrical decisions (we actually had to have the electrical service that comes into the house upgraded before we could move in. I don’t think our little house had seen a computer before). Fast forward to 2012 and we’ve got ourselves a pimped out wall o’ power. It’s pretty, right? Our architect-electrician does good work.
studio loft: completion
Last Friday was a gorgeous evening. Even though it wasn’t particularly warm, it was sunny…the kind of March day where people flock to outdoor bars and empty the contents of their purse looking for a pair of sunglasses. For us, it was a perfect evening for desktop hoisting! (Ok, it also distracted me from fantasizing about basking in the sun with a glass of wine in hand.)
First, Kyle prepped the stairwell. (Seriously, I came home on Friday to this sight and Kyle napping in the bedroom.) The plan was to hoist the slab up and into the loft between the wall and edge of the loft ladder. (It was far too long to go up the loft ladder and have enough room to rotate into position.)
It would be a tight fit, but we measured everything beforehand to make sure we had enough clearance. (Or so we thought, keep reading…)
Our neighbor Blair came over to help. (He was incredibly gracious and patient and we owe him big time!) As they brought the slab in from the garage, Kyle took the lead and walked it up the ladder…
…while Blair and his brute strength took the heavy end.
I don’t know how much this thing weighs, but moving it was no easy feat. One rung at a time.
I mean, it’s a big piece of wood. [Obligatory inappropriate photo-op.]
All was going well until we ran into one minor snafu…the loft ceiling. The low-end of the slab hadn’t quite cleared the ceiling below so it was literally stuck. Swearing ensued. (We blame the curvature of the tape measure during our earlier measuring.)
But we put our heads together and decided the only alternative was to remove the ceiling fan blades and the loft ladder and then slide it up on its side.
When we installed the loft ladder, I’m pretty sure we mumbled something like, “at least we don’t ever have to move this thing again!”.
Ha. If there was a bright side, it was that we didn’t have to completely remove it, just lower it enough so the slab could clear the top of the guardrail. The ladder is attached to the floor below and joist above with hefty lag screws. So Kyle removed those and then we used a scrap 2×4 as a kicker to keep it from sliding further.
It was an unintended extra step, but it worked. Turned horizontally, Kyle and Blair had no problem getting the slab into the space and then turning it 90 degrees.
With one final heave, the three of us hoisted the wood up and onto the steel angles. The final step was to attach the slab using stainless steel 1/4″x2″ screws and 1/4″x1″ fender washers at pre-drilled holes at each of the four angle supports.
At this point, it was in place and we called it a night.
But it didn’t take long for me set up shop the next day.
I had thought about moving the painted IKEA stool down to the nursery, but it’s actually a great height for the sewing machine and can easily tuck under the desk when not in use.
For now, I’m using a small IKEA table lamp for task lighting (the only other light we have in the space is the sconce over the ladder). It’s ok, but eventually it will move to the nursery and be replaced with a flexible and brighter work light. (Just need to find one first!)
In lieu of gifts last Christmas, Kyle and I bought each other a Macbook Pro. I’m in love and not just because it’s so pretty. After using a PC my whole life, it’s just so much more intuitive and well…smarter. I still use a PC at work and my brain has gotten better about switching back and forth between the two. We also have a printer/scanner/copier that now has a nice little home in the spot between the last Stolmen unit and the wall. Due to space limitations, we used to keep the printer in the basement so it’s great to finally have everything consolidated in one space. Even better, Kyle has set up everything wirelessly so the printer talks to the laptops and the laptops talk to the Airport Express which talks to the stereo system which talks to our iPhones. Our house is small enough that sometimes the microwave gets bitchy and interrupts, but we deal.
There is still a lot of accessorizing that needs to happen, but I’m totally thrilled with how it turned out and more importantly how the space feels. With the pleasant weather this weekend, I’ve had the roof window open and the soft north light makes the room feel bright and airy. Best of all, I no longer have the visual distractions that come with working at the dining room table or kitchen island.
The walls aren’t perfectly straight and plumb (this is the attic of 102-year-old house after all), so we intentionally created a gap between the edge of the wood and wall. Not only does it look good, but it also provides a space for cords to snake through.
I’m still debating if the sewing machine stays out or instead lives in its case under the desk. Let’s be real, I still haven’t used the thing yet.
Bonus perk of owning a Mac, one minimal white cord.
In the desk progress post, Ron and Nate left some smart comments about better ways to fasten the wood to steel angles (to deal with differential movement) and we listened. Kyle made the holes in the steel slightly larger and used the fender washers in conjunction with the screws.
In addition to a new desk light, there are still several things left to tackle. We have a large IKEA file cabinet that is too big to fit in the loft so I’ve been in the process of purging and organizing all of our paperwork (as seen above). We still had files labeled “architecture school” and “high school” (eek!) so there was plenty of room to edit things down. The plan is to buy a used metal 2-drawer file cabinet that goes under the desk on the window side. I’ve been scheming about finding something ugly but in good shape and spray painting it a fun color (I thought this type of thing would be easy to find on Craigslist or at Goodwill, but no luck so far). Kyle is not on board with this idea. Yet. =)
It’s not done-done, but it’s a good start. As we continue to use the space, I’m sure we’ll get a better idea of what works and what doesn’t. I like the idea of keeping it simple and minimal, but I could also see something going on the gable wall behind the desk and maybe a twin-sized daybed/chaise on the wall opposite of the Stolmen units.
I’m super excited to have this little space to call my own (or at least share with Felix, who is smitten with the new set-up). It feels like a treehouse of sorts and an escape from the constant to-do list downstairs. Up here, I feel more organized, more creative and a renewed itch to tackle projects. A set of curtains for the nursery? A new blog design? Let’s see where this goes…
To see past posts on the studio loft, click here.
